7.4 Evaluation

Many projects are completed without ever examining how successful they were (or not). This is unfortunate as a great deal can be learned from evaluating the impact of a project on an organisation.

Evaluation involves re-visiting the objectives of the event and evaluating the extent that the objective was achieved. It should include a review of how well the event team worked together during the event, and it also looks at other learning points that will be important to apply to future events so that the same mistakes are not repeated, and that best practice is carried forward.

A formal debriefing should be conducted with the key stakeholders, staff and customers after the event when information about the event, including attendance and incident data as well as staff and patron feedback, is available. This should be completed as soon as possible to ensure that all information is documented while fresh in the minds of the stakeholders.

An event evaluation is useful to determine what worked, what didn't work, why and how the event could have been done better?

Questions to be Addressed

• Did the event meet your organisations initial goals and desired outcomes?
• Did you reach the target audience?
• Did the event happen within the allocated budget? Was there an over spend? Could more money been spent in other areas?
• Did the location meet your requirements?
• How many attended, was it more than you expected?
• Did you receive enough local press coverage?
• Has it increased awareness of your organisation?
• Has it increased the amount of enquiries received?
• Would it be worthwhile having the event again?

After the Event you Should

• Insure that all equipment has been returned
• Request a preliminary invoice to check list that all services were supplied before actual invoice arrives.
• Analyse feedback questionnaires and enter information into a database
• Compile a database of attendees to include name, phone number email etc enter onto a database this information is imperative for future mailings
• Compile a report on verbal feedback received from attendees
• If applicable ring local press and thank them for turning up to your event this may get you a prime spot in the newspaper
• Send out all thank you letters to all attendees especially to the keynote speakers etc
• Finalise budget and actual costs of the event, it is only in the coming months that analysis on the success of the evening can be noted